This
blog and the columns I write for newspapers are designed to offer
commentary on the events of the day. Most of the time words flow rather
freely from my brain. Today as I write, however, words are harder to put
together. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. It should not be a
time to consider the horror of children being murdered by a deranged
psychopath. There is no making sense of this tragedy. There is no
convenient explanation which gives solace. There is only the reality and
the pain.
Of
course the usual suspects are offering their usual explanations of this
murderous scene and they are also offering their usual solutions.
Number one is always to blame the gun. Legislation will be introduced to
ban “assault weapons” and all manner of perceived dangerous weapons to
keep them out of the hands of free American people. Does any thinking
person really think denying guns to legitimate, sane citizens will have
any effect on the crazies in our midst? It has been said many times
before that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Let’s
face it, laws only affect law abiding people. Bad guys don’t pay any
attention to laws and they surely don’t obey them.
Consider
this. I heard a West Point instructor today explain that violent video
games are used to desensitize individuals in their training for war.
Apparently the more blood and guts one is exposed to, the easier it is
for them to kill others. I found that interesting.
The
second amendment is our guarantee of keeping and bearing weapons. These
weapons are not only to protect us from crooks but primarily to protect
us from our government. I also heard this interesting little tidbit.
“Armed people are citizens, unarmed people are subjects.” A fact we
should never forget.
These
then are my conclusions. These rare and random events, while they are
indeed tragic, are in fact rare and random. Another truth is there are
individuals in our free society running loose who should be in cages.
Anyone who believes registering guns or even banning certain “assault
weapons” will curtail nutcases is not thinking clearly. A gun is a tool
just like a knife or a baseball bat is a tool. It is not now nor has it
ever been the tool, it is the perpetrator who is the problem. Had there
been anyone near this latest massacre site who also had a gun and used
it, there might have been far fewer deaths of innocent children. The
only way to stop a gun is with a gun, period.
We
have the great benefit of living in a free country. Sadly, though, not
everyone who lives in this free society is equipped to be free. In a
country of over 330 million people, we are bound to have some misfits.
There will be the evil. There will be the disturbed. There will just be
nutcases who have evaded the mental health system and the justice
system. Such is life in a free society.
How
many of you know someone who you think is just not playing with a full
deck? They may be eccentric, or just not “normal.” Should they be
reported to the police? What would be their crime? Obviously we cannot
have preemptive, preventive law enforcement. Law enforcement comes into
play only after the law is broken.
Today
our job is to mourn and to clean up the mess caused by a nutcase. There
can be no understanding. Just mourn and clean up. There are no
guarantees in life, not for you or for me, and certainly not for those
little children in Connecticut. I hope and believe tomorrow will be a
brighter day for all of us. Our broken hearts will mend. Tomorrow will
be a better day.
Ron Scarbro December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
CHRISTMAS BY ANY OTHER NAME
What
is Christmas? What does it mean to you? Is it a religious holiday or is
it about gift giving and Santa? Is it both? What does Christmas mean to
you?
To most Christmas is a major celebration of Christianity, the birth of the Christ Child. To others it is an opportunity to share gifts and feast on rich foods. Yet to others it is a time to visit old friends and relatives and a time of relationship renewal. To me it is all of these. I love the traditions, the music, the joy, in fact I love it all. In my house we will have a Christmas tree, play Christmas music, have Christmas drinks, and feast on Christmas foods. There will be Christmas stockings and Christmas wreaths hung. It will be a Christmas festival.
Christmas is of course a Federal holiday. That means our government recognizes the day as special and sets it aside as a day of celebration. For those very few who feign offense by the religious nature of Christmas, deal with it. If you are offended, you don’t have to participate. Sit alone in your home, pull your shades down and shut out the world. The rest of us are going to have a party. You are invited but you don’t have to come. That is your choice.
In my research I learned, among other things, that Christmas means “The Mass of Christ.” Hence the term Christmas. I am completely comfortable with that definition. It has served me for my entire lifetime and I plan to continue in that belief. As a Christian I accept many things on faith. I don’t have to have scientific evidence. Whether Christ was born on December 25th or September 15th is not relevant to me. I just don’t care. It’s not the date that is important, it’s the event.
Today the vast majority of the world accepts Christmas as a religious holiday. Most celebrate it as the birth of the Christ Child. It is a major holiday in Russia as well as in China. The Christmas traditions of countries are, of course, as different as the countries themselves.
Most have a Santa Claus or some close facsimile. Many have the tradition of gift giving. But to most of the world, Christmas is a religious holiday. There will always be a small minority who will be offended. Some are just joyless individuals who crave attention. Some are haters who want to spoil the party for the rest of us. I suspect that most are people who got coal in their stockings when they were children and have never gotten over it. How sad.
I recognize that others also celebrate holidays during this time of year. Jews have Chanukah, and some other groups celebrate Kwanzaa. I think that is marvelous, but neither has anything to do with Christmas. Christmas is a separate holiday.
This is my favorite time of the year. I refuse to allow anyone or anything to spoil it for me. I don’t care that retailers start advertising Christmas before Thanksgiving. That just means it soon will be here. I love the fact that Christmas music is played from November on. It is some of my favorite music. I appreciate the cards and the personal letters that arrive in the mail. They are like visits from family and old friends.
Even Ebenezer Scrooge decided, after his frightening night with ghosts, to keep Christmas forevermore. I hope Christmas is as special to you as it is to me and we wish you the Merriest of Christmases this year and forevermore.
Ron Scarbro Christmas 2012
To most Christmas is a major celebration of Christianity, the birth of the Christ Child. To others it is an opportunity to share gifts and feast on rich foods. Yet to others it is a time to visit old friends and relatives and a time of relationship renewal. To me it is all of these. I love the traditions, the music, the joy, in fact I love it all. In my house we will have a Christmas tree, play Christmas music, have Christmas drinks, and feast on Christmas foods. There will be Christmas stockings and Christmas wreaths hung. It will be a Christmas festival.
Christmas is of course a Federal holiday. That means our government recognizes the day as special and sets it aside as a day of celebration. For those very few who feign offense by the religious nature of Christmas, deal with it. If you are offended, you don’t have to participate. Sit alone in your home, pull your shades down and shut out the world. The rest of us are going to have a party. You are invited but you don’t have to come. That is your choice.
In my research I learned, among other things, that Christmas means “The Mass of Christ.” Hence the term Christmas. I am completely comfortable with that definition. It has served me for my entire lifetime and I plan to continue in that belief. As a Christian I accept many things on faith. I don’t have to have scientific evidence. Whether Christ was born on December 25th or September 15th is not relevant to me. I just don’t care. It’s not the date that is important, it’s the event.
Today the vast majority of the world accepts Christmas as a religious holiday. Most celebrate it as the birth of the Christ Child. It is a major holiday in Russia as well as in China. The Christmas traditions of countries are, of course, as different as the countries themselves.
Most have a Santa Claus or some close facsimile. Many have the tradition of gift giving. But to most of the world, Christmas is a religious holiday. There will always be a small minority who will be offended. Some are just joyless individuals who crave attention. Some are haters who want to spoil the party for the rest of us. I suspect that most are people who got coal in their stockings when they were children and have never gotten over it. How sad.
I recognize that others also celebrate holidays during this time of year. Jews have Chanukah, and some other groups celebrate Kwanzaa. I think that is marvelous, but neither has anything to do with Christmas. Christmas is a separate holiday.
This is my favorite time of the year. I refuse to allow anyone or anything to spoil it for me. I don’t care that retailers start advertising Christmas before Thanksgiving. That just means it soon will be here. I love the fact that Christmas music is played from November on. It is some of my favorite music. I appreciate the cards and the personal letters that arrive in the mail. They are like visits from family and old friends.
Even Ebenezer Scrooge decided, after his frightening night with ghosts, to keep Christmas forevermore. I hope Christmas is as special to you as it is to me and we wish you the Merriest of Christmases this year and forevermore.
Ron Scarbro Christmas 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
THE END OF THE WORLD
December
21, 2012, the end of the world. At least that is the prediction of the
Mayan calendar. Maybe, just maybe, they missed it by a few days.
December 31, 2012. Now that’s a date that could be, and probably will
be, classified as the end of the world as we know it by the hucksters
and propagandists known today as the media. You see that is the date we
all are supposed to go over the “fiscal cliff.” The fiscal cliff is best
described as the ending of the Bush era tax cuts and a required
reduction in spending, primarily military, which would automatically go
into effect without Congressional action.
So how will you deal with this event? I’m talking about the end of the world. Me, I’m going to find myself a comfortable chair, put my feet up, pour myself an adult beverage of some sort, and have a toast to the life I have enjoyed. Then I will go to bed.
What about the other end of the world, the “fiscal cliff?” Well since that should occur on New Year’s Eve, I plan to find myself a comfortable chair, put my feet up, pour myself an adult beverage of some sort and offer a toast to the life I have enjoyed and then go to bed as I do every night.
The reason is simple. Both scenarios are equally silly. The world is not going to end on December 21st or on December 31st. The hype is going to get louder but both days will pass and we will be fine. If I am wrong about the Mayan prediction, it won’t matter anyway, will it? Nobody will be around to criticize my opinion. I once saw a TV show trying to show what the world would look like if there were no people. My question is who cares? If there are no people, who would be around to appreciate an uninhabited world? What nonsense.
Now the fiscal cliff poses a different problem. You have all heard the hype. We are basically being told that if Congress doesn’t act to prevent this dilemma, the entire country will suffer irreparable harm. How to fix it becomes the issue. The mantra from the Democrats is to tax the rich, tax the rich. Their opinion seems to be that such a tax increase would solve our money problems in Washington and we wouldn’t have to reduce spending. The reality is that the proposed tax increase on wealthy people will generate very little revenue. This tax proposal is nothing more than a notch in Obama’s political gun. A notch which incidentally will be filed off by the Republican administration which replaces him. What amazes and confounds me is that both political parties are willing to cause untold financial suffering and continue this economic stagnation for years for political reasons. Neither side seems to care a bit about the country. The financial problem facing America is and has been caused solely by our elected employees in Washington. Political games will fix nothing. Every one of them must be held accountable for their actions or their inactions. If they fail in their duty, they should be summarily dismissed.
I truly believe there will be an end of this world someday. I do not believe however that humans will have anything to do with it. Until that time comes, and nobody knows when that will be, I plan to continue to enjoy my life and I hope you do the same. If I am wrong and it all comes tumbling down on December 21st or on December 31st, you all can get together and criticize me. Oh, wait a minute. That won’t work. The reason, you won’t be here either.
Ron Scarbro December 12, 2012
So how will you deal with this event? I’m talking about the end of the world. Me, I’m going to find myself a comfortable chair, put my feet up, pour myself an adult beverage of some sort, and have a toast to the life I have enjoyed. Then I will go to bed.
What about the other end of the world, the “fiscal cliff?” Well since that should occur on New Year’s Eve, I plan to find myself a comfortable chair, put my feet up, pour myself an adult beverage of some sort and offer a toast to the life I have enjoyed and then go to bed as I do every night.
The reason is simple. Both scenarios are equally silly. The world is not going to end on December 21st or on December 31st. The hype is going to get louder but both days will pass and we will be fine. If I am wrong about the Mayan prediction, it won’t matter anyway, will it? Nobody will be around to criticize my opinion. I once saw a TV show trying to show what the world would look like if there were no people. My question is who cares? If there are no people, who would be around to appreciate an uninhabited world? What nonsense.
Now the fiscal cliff poses a different problem. You have all heard the hype. We are basically being told that if Congress doesn’t act to prevent this dilemma, the entire country will suffer irreparable harm. How to fix it becomes the issue. The mantra from the Democrats is to tax the rich, tax the rich. Their opinion seems to be that such a tax increase would solve our money problems in Washington and we wouldn’t have to reduce spending. The reality is that the proposed tax increase on wealthy people will generate very little revenue. This tax proposal is nothing more than a notch in Obama’s political gun. A notch which incidentally will be filed off by the Republican administration which replaces him. What amazes and confounds me is that both political parties are willing to cause untold financial suffering and continue this economic stagnation for years for political reasons. Neither side seems to care a bit about the country. The financial problem facing America is and has been caused solely by our elected employees in Washington. Political games will fix nothing. Every one of them must be held accountable for their actions or their inactions. If they fail in their duty, they should be summarily dismissed.
I truly believe there will be an end of this world someday. I do not believe however that humans will have anything to do with it. Until that time comes, and nobody knows when that will be, I plan to continue to enjoy my life and I hope you do the same. If I am wrong and it all comes tumbling down on December 21st or on December 31st, you all can get together and criticize me. Oh, wait a minute. That won’t work. The reason, you won’t be here either.
Ron Scarbro December 12, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A GUEST FOR DINNER
During
the Thanksgiving season a TV network asked their viewers in a poll who
would they most like to have as a dinner guest on the holiday. Of course
the names were all over the map. As it turns out, Tim Tebow, a pro
football quarterback for the New York Jets, was the number one pick. Now
I like Tim. I admire his prowess as an athlete as well as his personal
lifestyle. He seems to be a very spiritual man with charity in his
heart, and while I would enjoy having a meal with Mr. Tebow, he would
not be my first choice. My first choice would be Barack Obama.
I’ll explain. First, before I would extend such an invitation to my holiday table, there would be a few rules. Among the rules, no smoking in my house. He could go outside if he has to light up. The second rule is the most important. Without a complete agreement on this next rule, he could not sit at my table. He has to tell the complete, unvarnished truth in answering any and all of my questions. I realize the difficulty with that requirement, but it would not be up for discussion. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or stay away from my house.
Now, with all that agreed to and out of the way, this is how I would envision the table talk. My very first question to Barack would be, “Where were you born?” It’s a simple question. I was born in Powell, Tennessee. See, it’s an easy question. My next question, “Why do you have a Social Security number issued out of Connecticut when you have never lived there?” As you can see this is a simple review of previously released information, so it shouldn’t be difficult.
Next we get to some apparently harder questions. I say harder because the answers seem to have been sealed and hidden at great expense. What were your high school grades and how did you get into Ivy League schools? Were you registered as a foreign student? What were your grades in college? Who paid for these schools? Who paid for your world travels during this same period of your life. Did you in fact graduate and what degrees did you earn? Were you ever a professor of law or a professor of anything for that matter? Have you ever published articles for any law review?
Speaking of publishing, who really wrote the books attributed to you? It’s okay. A lot of people use ghost writers, but most of them are given credit for their contribution. Did you use ghost writers?
As you can see, I have a lot of questions. I have these questions because the people who should have been asking them and proving the veracity of the answers have failed in their responsibility. The national media has seemingly given this guy a free ride. The Republican Party has also seemingly allowed these questions to go unanswered and uninvestigated. Maybe I’m the only person on earth who cares that our president be a truthful man with a verifiable history. Is that the case?
This is what I believe. The truth will come out. The whole story will emerge. If there is no there there, great. But if his entire public life has been a lie, this country will have to deal with it. The national media will be held to account for their failure to do their job, vetting candidate Obama. It is one thing to pick your favorites, but you still have to do your job.
Today I know I will never have the opportunity to ask my questions. I just wish the people who are charged with that responsibility and who have the access would.
Ron Scarbro December 5, 2012
I’ll explain. First, before I would extend such an invitation to my holiday table, there would be a few rules. Among the rules, no smoking in my house. He could go outside if he has to light up. The second rule is the most important. Without a complete agreement on this next rule, he could not sit at my table. He has to tell the complete, unvarnished truth in answering any and all of my questions. I realize the difficulty with that requirement, but it would not be up for discussion. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or stay away from my house.
Now, with all that agreed to and out of the way, this is how I would envision the table talk. My very first question to Barack would be, “Where were you born?” It’s a simple question. I was born in Powell, Tennessee. See, it’s an easy question. My next question, “Why do you have a Social Security number issued out of Connecticut when you have never lived there?” As you can see this is a simple review of previously released information, so it shouldn’t be difficult.
Next we get to some apparently harder questions. I say harder because the answers seem to have been sealed and hidden at great expense. What were your high school grades and how did you get into Ivy League schools? Were you registered as a foreign student? What were your grades in college? Who paid for these schools? Who paid for your world travels during this same period of your life. Did you in fact graduate and what degrees did you earn? Were you ever a professor of law or a professor of anything for that matter? Have you ever published articles for any law review?
Speaking of publishing, who really wrote the books attributed to you? It’s okay. A lot of people use ghost writers, but most of them are given credit for their contribution. Did you use ghost writers?
As you can see, I have a lot of questions. I have these questions because the people who should have been asking them and proving the veracity of the answers have failed in their responsibility. The national media has seemingly given this guy a free ride. The Republican Party has also seemingly allowed these questions to go unanswered and uninvestigated. Maybe I’m the only person on earth who cares that our president be a truthful man with a verifiable history. Is that the case?
This is what I believe. The truth will come out. The whole story will emerge. If there is no there there, great. But if his entire public life has been a lie, this country will have to deal with it. The national media will be held to account for their failure to do their job, vetting candidate Obama. It is one thing to pick your favorites, but you still have to do your job.
Today I know I will never have the opportunity to ask my questions. I just wish the people who are charged with that responsibility and who have the access would.
Ron Scarbro December 5, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
ODE TO THE TURKEY SANDWICH
Several
years ago while still living in Seattle, my wife and I decided not to
prepare our traditional Thanksgiving feast. Every year of our marriage
we had cooked a huge meal for Thanksgiving with a turkey and all the
trimmings. We decided since the kids had left home that this year we
would travel down to the Oregon coast and get a motel room right on the
beach and just relax and cool it. Our plan was to pick out a great
restaurant and have our Thanksgiving meal there. No cooking and no clean
up.
That is exactly what we did. The traffic was terrible but finally we arrived no worse for the wear. The room was beautiful. It even had a fireplace along with a supply of firewood. Since we were right on the beach, all you could hear was the Pacific Ocean crashing on the shore and an occasional sea gull. It couldn’t have been nicer.
On Thanksgiving Day we found a great restaurant and ordered the traditional feast. It was very tasty and we enjoyed the meal a lot. Since we were at the shore, we ate a lot of seafood during the next couple of days and all in all it was a marvelous trip.
On Sunday evening we returned home. Again the traffic was ridiculous. But we were refreshed from our mini-vacation and actually looked forward to getting back home.
We got home, but something just didn’t seem quite right. There seemed to be something missing. What was missing was the smell of Thanksgiving. One of the world’s great smells is that of a turkey and stuffing baking in the oven. I soon discovered another item which was missing. That was left over turkey for sandwiches.
Now some would say that anyone can go to the store and buy some deli turkey and make a sandwich. Well, it’s just not the same thing. There’s something about a sandwich made from the leftover carcass that cannot be created by a deli slicer.
I have a friend named Jerry who is a master turkey sandwich maker. It would be truer to call him a master turkey sandwich builder. This is what he does. He takes a slice of bread and slathers it up with salad dressing. I’m talking about the product that you buy that looks like mayonnaise with bits of pickle in it. Then Jerry adds leftover stuffing, heaps of turkey, slices of cranberry sauce, you know the kind that comes in a can, then he slathers the other slice of bread with the salad dressing and closes up his masterpiece and he does all this with the relish of an artist. He then eats it and watching him deconstruct his creation is not a pretty sight. Fortunately Jerry has a big mouth and can navigate the task rather easily.
My idea of a turkey sandwich is a lot easier. I just mayonnaise up a couple slices of bread, any kind, and add mostly dark turkey meat. That’s it. That’s all I need. To me this is one of the great treats available to us mortals. Over the years I have witnessed many variations of this most hallowed of sandwiches, but they all seem to please their creators. Turkey sandwiches, you see, are as individual as their makers.
By not being home and preparing this meal, we missed out on some of the best parts of it and I haven’t even mentioned the pecan pie. That is why we have never even considered going away from home on Thanksgiving again. Some things, like turkey sandwiches, are just too good to miss.
Ron Scarbro November 28, 2012
That is exactly what we did. The traffic was terrible but finally we arrived no worse for the wear. The room was beautiful. It even had a fireplace along with a supply of firewood. Since we were right on the beach, all you could hear was the Pacific Ocean crashing on the shore and an occasional sea gull. It couldn’t have been nicer.
On Thanksgiving Day we found a great restaurant and ordered the traditional feast. It was very tasty and we enjoyed the meal a lot. Since we were at the shore, we ate a lot of seafood during the next couple of days and all in all it was a marvelous trip.
On Sunday evening we returned home. Again the traffic was ridiculous. But we were refreshed from our mini-vacation and actually looked forward to getting back home.
We got home, but something just didn’t seem quite right. There seemed to be something missing. What was missing was the smell of Thanksgiving. One of the world’s great smells is that of a turkey and stuffing baking in the oven. I soon discovered another item which was missing. That was left over turkey for sandwiches.
Now some would say that anyone can go to the store and buy some deli turkey and make a sandwich. Well, it’s just not the same thing. There’s something about a sandwich made from the leftover carcass that cannot be created by a deli slicer.
I have a friend named Jerry who is a master turkey sandwich maker. It would be truer to call him a master turkey sandwich builder. This is what he does. He takes a slice of bread and slathers it up with salad dressing. I’m talking about the product that you buy that looks like mayonnaise with bits of pickle in it. Then Jerry adds leftover stuffing, heaps of turkey, slices of cranberry sauce, you know the kind that comes in a can, then he slathers the other slice of bread with the salad dressing and closes up his masterpiece and he does all this with the relish of an artist. He then eats it and watching him deconstruct his creation is not a pretty sight. Fortunately Jerry has a big mouth and can navigate the task rather easily.
My idea of a turkey sandwich is a lot easier. I just mayonnaise up a couple slices of bread, any kind, and add mostly dark turkey meat. That’s it. That’s all I need. To me this is one of the great treats available to us mortals. Over the years I have witnessed many variations of this most hallowed of sandwiches, but they all seem to please their creators. Turkey sandwiches, you see, are as individual as their makers.
By not being home and preparing this meal, we missed out on some of the best parts of it and I haven’t even mentioned the pecan pie. That is why we have never even considered going away from home on Thanksgiving again. Some things, like turkey sandwiches, are just too good to miss.
Ron Scarbro November 28, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
WHAT, ME WORRY?
Why
should I be worried? Obama has been reelected and the economy is going
farther into the dumper. Israel has fired missiles into Gaza
assassinating a Hamas war leader and of course Hamas is and has been
firing missiles into Israel. Why should I worry? Should I care that our
top military generals are playing house with women other than their
wives? Or that we have an inexperienced juvenile Commander-in-Chief who
has never served in or had any experience with the military? Should it
matter that not only has he had no experience, he also has openly
expressed disdain for the military?
This is a dangerous world folks. The Middle East is the hot spot of hot spots in that dangerous world. Israel is not going to sit by and let her enemies continue to kill Israeli citizens. They will retaliate. The absolute last thing we need is to be distracted by all the extra-curricular activities of those we have hired to take care of business. We need everybody on board and paying attention.
Do you remember Mad magazine? Alfred E. Newman was famous for asking, “What, me worry?” That is my sarcastic question with this essay. Syria is exploding. Libya is no closer to democracy than before their recent revolution. Turkey has clearly stated they will not accept refugees from various warring countries. Egypt is a mess with no fix in sight. The entire Middle East is like a boiling pot with a lid on too tight. It is about to blow and here we are with no adults to handle the fallout.
Add all of that to the “fiscal cliff” we are facing. The Democrats re-installed Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi as their leaders while the Republicans re-elected John Boehner as Speaker of the House. In other words, these people have done such a good job we want them to continue in that fine effort. Are you kidding me? Have we lost our minds? These are the very individuals who created the mess we are in. What on earth makes anyone believe they can fix anything?
But wait, as the TV commercials say, there’s more. Obama wants John, I threw my medals away because I hate the military, Kerry to serve as Secretary of Defense and Susan, it was the video not terrorism, Rice to serve as Secretary of State. Have we completely lost our common sense? Are you telling me these are the best people we can find for these very sensitive positions? If that is in fact the case, we are in deeper trouble than we knew.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column citing the many issues that have been hidden and stalled until after the election. Well they are now starting to hit the fan. Denny’s restaurants and many other franchise fast food types in Florida and other places are surcharging all their customers 5% to pay for Obamacare. They say if you don’t like it, just consider it your wait person’s tip. After all, they opine, Obamacare is designed for their employees anyway. I’m pretty sure the wait staff isn’t going to be thrilled with that. Many other employers are reducing employee hours and lowering staffing to eliminate themselves from the requirements of this new healthcare law and these activities are going to spread.
The Hostess “Twinkie,” which was supposed to be able to survive nuclear war, couldn’t survive the Obama Administration. They filed for bankruptcy on Friday. All of their 18,500 union employees who refused to return to work by the company imposed and judge approved deadline will now apparently lose their jobs if no further agreement can be reached. If a foreign company buys Hostess and moves it off shore, whose fault will that be? The evil corporations or the unions? Just asking.
This is just the beginning folks. There is much more to come. The people have chosen and the people will have to live with their choice. Are you worried?
Ron Scarbro November 21, 2012
This is a dangerous world folks. The Middle East is the hot spot of hot spots in that dangerous world. Israel is not going to sit by and let her enemies continue to kill Israeli citizens. They will retaliate. The absolute last thing we need is to be distracted by all the extra-curricular activities of those we have hired to take care of business. We need everybody on board and paying attention.
Do you remember Mad magazine? Alfred E. Newman was famous for asking, “What, me worry?” That is my sarcastic question with this essay. Syria is exploding. Libya is no closer to democracy than before their recent revolution. Turkey has clearly stated they will not accept refugees from various warring countries. Egypt is a mess with no fix in sight. The entire Middle East is like a boiling pot with a lid on too tight. It is about to blow and here we are with no adults to handle the fallout.
Add all of that to the “fiscal cliff” we are facing. The Democrats re-installed Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi as their leaders while the Republicans re-elected John Boehner as Speaker of the House. In other words, these people have done such a good job we want them to continue in that fine effort. Are you kidding me? Have we lost our minds? These are the very individuals who created the mess we are in. What on earth makes anyone believe they can fix anything?
But wait, as the TV commercials say, there’s more. Obama wants John, I threw my medals away because I hate the military, Kerry to serve as Secretary of Defense and Susan, it was the video not terrorism, Rice to serve as Secretary of State. Have we completely lost our common sense? Are you telling me these are the best people we can find for these very sensitive positions? If that is in fact the case, we are in deeper trouble than we knew.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column citing the many issues that have been hidden and stalled until after the election. Well they are now starting to hit the fan. Denny’s restaurants and many other franchise fast food types in Florida and other places are surcharging all their customers 5% to pay for Obamacare. They say if you don’t like it, just consider it your wait person’s tip. After all, they opine, Obamacare is designed for their employees anyway. I’m pretty sure the wait staff isn’t going to be thrilled with that. Many other employers are reducing employee hours and lowering staffing to eliminate themselves from the requirements of this new healthcare law and these activities are going to spread.
The Hostess “Twinkie,” which was supposed to be able to survive nuclear war, couldn’t survive the Obama Administration. They filed for bankruptcy on Friday. All of their 18,500 union employees who refused to return to work by the company imposed and judge approved deadline will now apparently lose their jobs if no further agreement can be reached. If a foreign company buys Hostess and moves it off shore, whose fault will that be? The evil corporations or the unions? Just asking.
This is just the beginning folks. There is much more to come. The people have chosen and the people will have to live with their choice. Are you worried?
Ron Scarbro November 21, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
BE REASONABLE, DO IT MY WAY
I
was watching a discussion the other day between some Democrats and some
Republicans. The Dems were saying that this country is in trouble
because the Reps are refusing to compromise their positions. The Reps
were saying the country is in trouble because of the policies of the
Dems and the only way to fix the mess is to turn away from those
policies and return to fiscal sanity. The debate reminded me of two
football teams facing each other on the fifty yard line with neither
side able to move the other. As a result, nothing gets accomplished.
Nobody scores.
The election showed us clearly that the country is almost equally divided between those two positions. It also showed us that this situation of deadlock must be desirable because the electorate continued the stalemate by their election choices. When stalemate happens in a football game, the soccer-style kicker is called upon to come out and kick a field goal. That usually is not very satisfying, but it at least brings about an end to the deadlock. I believe what is needed in this country is a good field goal kicker.
I have written before that Republicans do Republican things because that is what they believe. Democrats do Democrat things because that is what they believe. For either side of this debate to say, “Be reasonable, do it my way” is ridiculous. Most Republicans probably think that if they caved to the demands of the Democrats, the country would suffer irreparable harm. I’m pretty sure the Democrats feel the same way. At least I hope their thoughts are more with the country and not just with their political parties or with their own particular political futures. This is what I know however, if compromise is not reached, the country will suffer and possibly more than either side could ever repair. The so-called “fiscal cliff” we are facing is a reality. It isn’t going away. If it happens, Greece will look like a Sunday School picnic.
The people we have chosen to represent us are our employees. They answer to us. They are charged with the responsibility of doing the business of government. The economic mess we are in is their doing. It is not the failure of the American people. It is the failure of their elected representatives. Every citizen in this country needs to write their representative and give them the following message. Put your party affiliation aside, do a quick re-read of the Constitution, swallow your egotistical pride, and compromise for the good of America. Unscrew what you have screwed up. Failure to act is a criminal offense and you will be held liable, period.
The election is over. The country has chosen. For better or worse, the status quo has been re-elected. Many of you do not like the results. Many do. Today it does not matter. What matters is that the people we have chosen to get the job done need to get busy with that job and get it done. Failure truly is not an option.
We all have our opinions as to what is the best policy for this government. The resolution to the fiscal mess we are in will probably have to take on some from both sides. Like a field goal it probably won’t be totally satisfying to either side, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that resolution be found and compromise be reached. Another thing is crystal clear. Both Obama and the Congress are equally responsible for our situation and they both will be held accountable.
Ron Scarbro November 14, 2012
The election showed us clearly that the country is almost equally divided between those two positions. It also showed us that this situation of deadlock must be desirable because the electorate continued the stalemate by their election choices. When stalemate happens in a football game, the soccer-style kicker is called upon to come out and kick a field goal. That usually is not very satisfying, but it at least brings about an end to the deadlock. I believe what is needed in this country is a good field goal kicker.
I have written before that Republicans do Republican things because that is what they believe. Democrats do Democrat things because that is what they believe. For either side of this debate to say, “Be reasonable, do it my way” is ridiculous. Most Republicans probably think that if they caved to the demands of the Democrats, the country would suffer irreparable harm. I’m pretty sure the Democrats feel the same way. At least I hope their thoughts are more with the country and not just with their political parties or with their own particular political futures. This is what I know however, if compromise is not reached, the country will suffer and possibly more than either side could ever repair. The so-called “fiscal cliff” we are facing is a reality. It isn’t going away. If it happens, Greece will look like a Sunday School picnic.
The people we have chosen to represent us are our employees. They answer to us. They are charged with the responsibility of doing the business of government. The economic mess we are in is their doing. It is not the failure of the American people. It is the failure of their elected representatives. Every citizen in this country needs to write their representative and give them the following message. Put your party affiliation aside, do a quick re-read of the Constitution, swallow your egotistical pride, and compromise for the good of America. Unscrew what you have screwed up. Failure to act is a criminal offense and you will be held liable, period.
The election is over. The country has chosen. For better or worse, the status quo has been re-elected. Many of you do not like the results. Many do. Today it does not matter. What matters is that the people we have chosen to get the job done need to get busy with that job and get it done. Failure truly is not an option.
We all have our opinions as to what is the best policy for this government. The resolution to the fiscal mess we are in will probably have to take on some from both sides. Like a field goal it probably won’t be totally satisfying to either side, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that resolution be found and compromise be reached. Another thing is crystal clear. Both Obama and the Congress are equally responsible for our situation and they both will be held accountable.
Ron Scarbro November 14, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
VETERANS DAY 2012
One
of the things we older people do for entertainment is sit around and
remember. We think back on our earlier days. One of my favorite pastimes
is considering the decisions I made that have brought me to this point
in my life. I recollect my choices. I ponder what life would have been
like had I picked a different path. Of course we cannot live life over
again but it is sometimes good to recall how our lives have turned out.
Today I can honestly say that one of the best decisions I ever made was to join the military service at the ripe old age of seventeen. I remember at that time the draft was a clear reality. If you were like me, healthy, unmarried, and without rich parents to get you out of it, you were probably going to be drafted. We were told that by joining, we would have much better choices. That turned out to be not so true, but I was a country boy who had never been away from home and I thought I was ready for adventure. That is exactly what it turned out to be.
I learned more about weapons than I ever thought I could know. I learned discipline. I learned leadership. Mostly I learned what it means to be an American and what we all owe for that privilege. On reflection I can honestly say that I received so much more from my military service than I ever gave. Even today I am cared for by the VA where I get the best care one could receive. I will always be grateful for this benefit from my service.
November 11 is a day chosen to honor our veterans. As a veteran I am honored by just being associated with such a group. I know my service was appreciated as I appreciate all the others who served. Today though, I think of all who have fallen on foreign soil or on far away oceans. I think of all who returned with physical and mental challenges occasioned by the horrors they had to deal with. I think of the families who gave their sons and daughters so that we all could be free. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. We honor them all.
We have all heard that freedom is not free and truer words were never spoken. There is a price to be paid for the freedoms we enjoy. Fortunately, when the call has gone out, Americans have responded. Today we have the finest, best equipped military in existence. They stand at the ready to do anything necessary to make sure our way of life continues. When you see a member of the military, show your appreciation. Thank them for their service. Thank them for the gift they are giving to all of us. Thank them for your freedom.
Today as we remember veterans, we think of those who didn’t return home, those who returned with severe challenges, and we also remember those who just put their lives on hold to serve as a deterrent to the evils of this world. How fortunate we as a country are to have such people willing to serve. Today we thank the families for their sacrifices. You gave this country your children, your brothers and sisters, your parents. You gave so that we all could live. No greater love exists. Today we honor you too.
In November we celebrate veterans and we also set aside a day of Thanksgiving. We should all be thankful for our military and because of them our way of life.
Ron Scarbro, Veterans Day, 2012
.
Today I can honestly say that one of the best decisions I ever made was to join the military service at the ripe old age of seventeen. I remember at that time the draft was a clear reality. If you were like me, healthy, unmarried, and without rich parents to get you out of it, you were probably going to be drafted. We were told that by joining, we would have much better choices. That turned out to be not so true, but I was a country boy who had never been away from home and I thought I was ready for adventure. That is exactly what it turned out to be.
I learned more about weapons than I ever thought I could know. I learned discipline. I learned leadership. Mostly I learned what it means to be an American and what we all owe for that privilege. On reflection I can honestly say that I received so much more from my military service than I ever gave. Even today I am cared for by the VA where I get the best care one could receive. I will always be grateful for this benefit from my service.
November 11 is a day chosen to honor our veterans. As a veteran I am honored by just being associated with such a group. I know my service was appreciated as I appreciate all the others who served. Today though, I think of all who have fallen on foreign soil or on far away oceans. I think of all who returned with physical and mental challenges occasioned by the horrors they had to deal with. I think of the families who gave their sons and daughters so that we all could be free. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. We honor them all.
We have all heard that freedom is not free and truer words were never spoken. There is a price to be paid for the freedoms we enjoy. Fortunately, when the call has gone out, Americans have responded. Today we have the finest, best equipped military in existence. They stand at the ready to do anything necessary to make sure our way of life continues. When you see a member of the military, show your appreciation. Thank them for their service. Thank them for the gift they are giving to all of us. Thank them for your freedom.
Today as we remember veterans, we think of those who didn’t return home, those who returned with severe challenges, and we also remember those who just put their lives on hold to serve as a deterrent to the evils of this world. How fortunate we as a country are to have such people willing to serve. Today we thank the families for their sacrifices. You gave this country your children, your brothers and sisters, your parents. You gave so that we all could live. No greater love exists. Today we honor you too.
In November we celebrate veterans and we also set aside a day of Thanksgiving. We should all be thankful for our military and because of them our way of life.
Ron Scarbro, Veterans Day, 2012
.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
TIME WILL TELL
To
say I am disappointed would be an understatement. But I have been
disappointed before. In my years I have seen many elections, winning
some and losing some. Such is life. Dealing with this disappointment is
always the issue.
This morning, the day after, I heard a commentator say that America is basically changing. I certainly agree.This is no longer the country of my youth. Today two states have approved the legalization of marijuana. Other states have approved same sex marriage. Illegal aliens are being granted in-state college tuition instead of being deported. Some are saying this is just the beginning of huge social changes facing this country. It appears the majority favor these changes by their choices at the ballot box.
I told my grandchildren these changes will not affect me. They will affect you and the other young people around you. The cost of these new social phenomena will be borne by future generations and that cost is not just in money. Morality changes will affect the future of this country and to my mind, in a bad way. Time will indeed tell.
In previous writings I stated clearly that after an Obama reelection, all of the matters he has been delaying will surface. Sadly we will now see what I meant. The true financial impact of Obamacare as well as its detrimental effect on our health care system will soon be known. It will not please me to be right. Several lawsuits are winding their way to the Supreme Court and those outcomes will yet have an impact on Obamacare. This law’s assault on religious freedom is appalling and we still have an opportunity to fix it. Again, time will tell.
What still amazes me is that even this morning the vast majority of those polled believe this country is headed in the wrong direction and yet they voted to continue that direction by their vote. The policies that created our financial mess will continue and this mess is not going to fix itself. Obama says that four years ago he inherited an economic disaster. If he thought that was a problem, look at the disaster he inherited with this election. Who will he blame this time? Only time will tell.
I sat down at my computer this morning to help you deal with your disappointment as well as dealing with my own. The sun will rise today and tomorrow. Life will go on. I cannot honestly say this morning, however, that our country, which is split down the middle, will recover anytime soon. You can’t find your way out of the forest unless and until you know you are lost. It would appear that at least half of our people do not realize they are in trouble. They don’t know that they are lost in the woods. I can only hope that we don’t have to sink too much farther before this country wakes up.
There is good news though. Today I believe as I always have, that idiocy has a time limit. It cannot go on forever. Money and patience runs out. The ideology which has caused our economic woes has a sell-by date. Historically we have always come to our senses in time. Every four years we have an opportunity to unscrew the mess. Will we fix it this time? Only time will tell.
Ron Scarbro November 7, 2012
This morning, the day after, I heard a commentator say that America is basically changing. I certainly agree.This is no longer the country of my youth. Today two states have approved the legalization of marijuana. Other states have approved same sex marriage. Illegal aliens are being granted in-state college tuition instead of being deported. Some are saying this is just the beginning of huge social changes facing this country. It appears the majority favor these changes by their choices at the ballot box.
I told my grandchildren these changes will not affect me. They will affect you and the other young people around you. The cost of these new social phenomena will be borne by future generations and that cost is not just in money. Morality changes will affect the future of this country and to my mind, in a bad way. Time will indeed tell.
In previous writings I stated clearly that after an Obama reelection, all of the matters he has been delaying will surface. Sadly we will now see what I meant. The true financial impact of Obamacare as well as its detrimental effect on our health care system will soon be known. It will not please me to be right. Several lawsuits are winding their way to the Supreme Court and those outcomes will yet have an impact on Obamacare. This law’s assault on religious freedom is appalling and we still have an opportunity to fix it. Again, time will tell.
What still amazes me is that even this morning the vast majority of those polled believe this country is headed in the wrong direction and yet they voted to continue that direction by their vote. The policies that created our financial mess will continue and this mess is not going to fix itself. Obama says that four years ago he inherited an economic disaster. If he thought that was a problem, look at the disaster he inherited with this election. Who will he blame this time? Only time will tell.
I sat down at my computer this morning to help you deal with your disappointment as well as dealing with my own. The sun will rise today and tomorrow. Life will go on. I cannot honestly say this morning, however, that our country, which is split down the middle, will recover anytime soon. You can’t find your way out of the forest unless and until you know you are lost. It would appear that at least half of our people do not realize they are in trouble. They don’t know that they are lost in the woods. I can only hope that we don’t have to sink too much farther before this country wakes up.
There is good news though. Today I believe as I always have, that idiocy has a time limit. It cannot go on forever. Money and patience runs out. The ideology which has caused our economic woes has a sell-by date. Historically we have always come to our senses in time. Every four years we have an opportunity to unscrew the mess. Will we fix it this time? Only time will tell.
Ron Scarbro November 7, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
ELECTION DAY 2012
This
will be my last post before the election of 2012. Now I recognize that
most of my sermons are directed at the choir. I realize that most of you
who read these musings are of a similar mindset. On some occasions,
though rare, I have heard from you in opposition to something I have
written. I always enjoy your thoughts. I also know there are some
readers who read just to further reinforce their own attitudes and
beliefs. I am happy to have any readers regardless of their politics. To
those of you who disagree, perhaps you might discover a different
philosophy and a different way of looking at the problems facing this
great country. To those who agree with my thoughts, perhaps you might
find others with whom you can share these essays to help bring about the
true change this country so desperately needs. To all who read these
thoughts, I thank you.
In the news these past several days is all of the speculation about the Benghazi attack and who dropped the ball. What did official Washington know and when did they know it? Personally I have come to expect incompetence and apathy from Obama. He appears today as he has for his entire presidency, aloof and uninvolved. The problem is that his supporters and followers don’t seem to care. I remember Bill Clinton, the consummate work place sex offender who, after lying to a Grand Jury, was impeached and subsequently disbarred as an attorney. His presidency not only survived but he has now become some sort of hero to the Democrats. If either of these people had been Republicans they would have been tarred and feathered and run out of town and the Republicans would have been the ones to do it.
The question then becomes, will this particular incompetence on Obama’s part affect his electability? I seriously doubt it. That segment of the population which votes for these types of people seems to have a completely different agenda. It would seem that incompetence and lying are to be expected from their candidates. All these voters seem to want to know is what is in it for me?
Now a word to anyone reading this who might be still undecided about this upcoming election. If, after seeing all the evidence and witnessing all of the incompetence, you are still undecided, stay home on Election Day. Do this country and the world a favor and stay out of it. Believe me, we won’t miss your vote.
I wrote recently that if Obama is reelected, everything he has been stalling on as well as the true costs of Obamacare and all of his lefty programs will hit the fan. There is no doubt of this. It will not please me to be right. In fact it will be a tragedy for this country. I keep hoping that since we have survived Carter and Clinton that we can survive another term of Obama, but this time I am not so sure.
I recently heard this from a woman who voted for Obama in the last election. She said, “Last election I voted for hope and change. This time I’m just hoping for a change.” Well said.
And so this is my commitment to you and to this country. Both my wife and I will cast our vote and we will vote to change the direction of this country. We will vote for Romney with the hope that he will be elected as our next president. We will also vote to retain a Republican majority in the House and will try to elect a majority in the Senate. Never, and I do mean never, has this change been more important. Do your part.
Thank you.
Ron Scarbro October 31, 2012
In the news these past several days is all of the speculation about the Benghazi attack and who dropped the ball. What did official Washington know and when did they know it? Personally I have come to expect incompetence and apathy from Obama. He appears today as he has for his entire presidency, aloof and uninvolved. The problem is that his supporters and followers don’t seem to care. I remember Bill Clinton, the consummate work place sex offender who, after lying to a Grand Jury, was impeached and subsequently disbarred as an attorney. His presidency not only survived but he has now become some sort of hero to the Democrats. If either of these people had been Republicans they would have been tarred and feathered and run out of town and the Republicans would have been the ones to do it.
The question then becomes, will this particular incompetence on Obama’s part affect his electability? I seriously doubt it. That segment of the population which votes for these types of people seems to have a completely different agenda. It would seem that incompetence and lying are to be expected from their candidates. All these voters seem to want to know is what is in it for me?
Now a word to anyone reading this who might be still undecided about this upcoming election. If, after seeing all the evidence and witnessing all of the incompetence, you are still undecided, stay home on Election Day. Do this country and the world a favor and stay out of it. Believe me, we won’t miss your vote.
I wrote recently that if Obama is reelected, everything he has been stalling on as well as the true costs of Obamacare and all of his lefty programs will hit the fan. There is no doubt of this. It will not please me to be right. In fact it will be a tragedy for this country. I keep hoping that since we have survived Carter and Clinton that we can survive another term of Obama, but this time I am not so sure.
I recently heard this from a woman who voted for Obama in the last election. She said, “Last election I voted for hope and change. This time I’m just hoping for a change.” Well said.
And so this is my commitment to you and to this country. Both my wife and I will cast our vote and we will vote to change the direction of this country. We will vote for Romney with the hope that he will be elected as our next president. We will also vote to retain a Republican majority in the House and will try to elect a majority in the Senate. Never, and I do mean never, has this change been more important. Do your part.
Thank you.
Ron Scarbro October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A LOT OF THINGS
I
watched the Vice Presidential debate. I didn’t think there was much
about the attack on our embassy that was funny. It would appear that
Biden thought it was. For Obama to deny that the attack was terrorism
was a calculated political move which somewhat explains his actions, but
to deny the embassy additional security when asked, was accessory to
murder. Whether that refusal for security came from the State Dept. or
the White House, the guilty party or parties should be terminated and
possibly prosecuted. There is no excuse for this dereliction, period.
Social Security is going to increase benefits by 1.7% for 2013. Just based on the price of gasoline alone between today and this time last year, your entire increase will be eaten up by gasoline costs. This does not even consider food prices, Medicare, medical costs, or any other goods and services we need. I wonder how they figure their cost of living inflation.
This morning’s polls have Romney ahead by seven points. To me that is not nearly as newsworthy as the fact that there are still some “undecided” voters. What world have they been living in? Another question is how could any thinking person, knowing the record of the Obama Administration, still consider voting for four more years of the same. It blows my mind.
The “alleged” murderer, Major Nidal Hasan, who is charged with assassinating all those people at Ft. Hood, Texas, still hasn’t gone to trial. He wants to keep his beard because he says it is his religious right. He has been in the military for years and he knows he cannot have a beard. Nothing has changed. Today I learned that he has been ordered to shave or he will be forcibly shaved. Why has this taken so long? He should have long since been given his seventy-two virgins and fed to the hogs. I personally do not want to ever see his ugly face again. By the way, his lawyers have said they intend to appeal the shaving ruling. Who is paying for these lawyers and how much do you suppose they are charging for their services?
Speaking of presidential debates, Al Gore opined that Obama did poorly in the first debate because of the altitude. Does that mean that Obama can only be presidential at sea level? If you, like me, ever doubted Gore’s intelligence, that statement should clear that up.
Romney is being severely criticized because his tax rate is only 15% and that is lower than people who earn $50,000 a year as plumbers. Phony-baloney nonsense. Everybody in this country has exactly the same tax rates. Invested money that earns interest or gains is taxed at 15% for every person in the country and earned salary is taxed as income where the maximum rate is 35% for every person in this country. Every person in the country has the same opportunity to take exemptions when they are allowed and they are the same for everybody. Remember this, the money that a person has invested which is taxed at 15% has already been taxed as income prior to the investment. The fact that Romney made twenty million dollars last year is his good fortune, not your bad fortune.
I wonder how much car insurance would cost if insurance companies didn’t spend so much on commercials. It seems they dominate the TV screen. Speaking of TV commercials, why do prescription drug manufacturers advertise a product that one cannot even buy without a doctor’s order? Strange.
How is it possible that “American Idol” is still on television? And all the dancing shows. And who cares what Kim Kardashian thinks about anything?
Joe Soucheray, on his radio show “Garage Logic” from St. Paul, MN, says “Sometimes I just don’t think I was made for these times.” I so often feel the same way.
Ron Scarbro October 24, 2012
Social Security is going to increase benefits by 1.7% for 2013. Just based on the price of gasoline alone between today and this time last year, your entire increase will be eaten up by gasoline costs. This does not even consider food prices, Medicare, medical costs, or any other goods and services we need. I wonder how they figure their cost of living inflation.
This morning’s polls have Romney ahead by seven points. To me that is not nearly as newsworthy as the fact that there are still some “undecided” voters. What world have they been living in? Another question is how could any thinking person, knowing the record of the Obama Administration, still consider voting for four more years of the same. It blows my mind.
The “alleged” murderer, Major Nidal Hasan, who is charged with assassinating all those people at Ft. Hood, Texas, still hasn’t gone to trial. He wants to keep his beard because he says it is his religious right. He has been in the military for years and he knows he cannot have a beard. Nothing has changed. Today I learned that he has been ordered to shave or he will be forcibly shaved. Why has this taken so long? He should have long since been given his seventy-two virgins and fed to the hogs. I personally do not want to ever see his ugly face again. By the way, his lawyers have said they intend to appeal the shaving ruling. Who is paying for these lawyers and how much do you suppose they are charging for their services?
Speaking of presidential debates, Al Gore opined that Obama did poorly in the first debate because of the altitude. Does that mean that Obama can only be presidential at sea level? If you, like me, ever doubted Gore’s intelligence, that statement should clear that up.
Romney is being severely criticized because his tax rate is only 15% and that is lower than people who earn $50,000 a year as plumbers. Phony-baloney nonsense. Everybody in this country has exactly the same tax rates. Invested money that earns interest or gains is taxed at 15% for every person in the country and earned salary is taxed as income where the maximum rate is 35% for every person in this country. Every person in the country has the same opportunity to take exemptions when they are allowed and they are the same for everybody. Remember this, the money that a person has invested which is taxed at 15% has already been taxed as income prior to the investment. The fact that Romney made twenty million dollars last year is his good fortune, not your bad fortune.
I wonder how much car insurance would cost if insurance companies didn’t spend so much on commercials. It seems they dominate the TV screen. Speaking of TV commercials, why do prescription drug manufacturers advertise a product that one cannot even buy without a doctor’s order? Strange.
How is it possible that “American Idol” is still on television? And all the dancing shows. And who cares what Kim Kardashian thinks about anything?
Joe Soucheray, on his radio show “Garage Logic” from St. Paul, MN, says “Sometimes I just don’t think I was made for these times.” I so often feel the same way.
Ron Scarbro October 24, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
I
have never owned a slave. I do not personally know anyone who has ever
owned a slave. My history books tell me James Madison, Thomas Jefferson,
and George Washington owned slaves, but I have never owned a slave. I
have had black employees and black supervisors, but I have never had a
slave of any color or nationality. In fact, had I lived during the slave
period in this country, it is far more likely that I would have been a
slave than I would have owned one. The reason I am pointing this out is
that I feel zero guilt about slavery. I wasn’t there, period.
Because I have no guilt, I do not owe any special considerations, reparations, or, in fact, anything to black people or any other group who feels the need to have special privilege or identity. All legal citizens living in this country have the same opportunity to succeed and to fail. To those among you who would say, but Ron, you have never had to travel through life as a black man. That’s true but, let me tell you of an experience I had with a friend who happened to be black. He was an accomplished sales manager who made a very good living. I asked him if he, with his very important position in life, ever found racial discrimination directed at him. His answer was perfect. He said he found discrimination everywhere he looked for it. That pretty much says it all.
The reason for this essay is that the other day I was in a large store here in the south. The store was the one which was owned by a fellow named Sam from Benton, Arkansas. You know the one. Anyway, in the store was a multitude of black women shopping, many together. Most had several young children running around them. Virtually all of them had a cell phone connected to their ear. In their carts was junk food from soda pop to sugary cereals. So far none of this was my business, right? At the checkout stand, virtually all of them paid for their groceries with the famous EBT card (food stamps). That is when it became all of our business.
This occurred in the middle of the day during a normal work week, so it is easy to assume none of them were employed. Most were stylishly dressed. I didn’t see what sort of car they got into.
What I just described is no mystery to anyone. It happens everywhere, not just here in the south. We have a class of people who are living off the system, period. I would bet you that none of these young women had a husband and most probably don’t even know who the father of their children is. The practice of pumping out babies has become their career. Sadly many of these babies will grow up to be the next generation of criminals and welfare mothers.
The media never talks about this. This has become “The Elephant in the Room.” My question is does the media not know about this problem, or do they know and not think of it as a problem? Is their guilt about perceived past injustices so great that they ignore this serious problem?
One thing is crystal clear, you are paying for these excesses. You are financing these generations of dependents on the system. You are funding the next generation of thugs and criminals growing up in our inner cities. Another thing is also clear. It is not going to change until you see it as a problem and demand it come to an end.
Nobody seems to want to publicly speak about this. They seem to want to ignore it. I say that unless and until the black community chooses to deal with this and change it, their lot in life in this great country will continue to decline. How sad.
Ron Scarbro October 17, 2012
Because I have no guilt, I do not owe any special considerations, reparations, or, in fact, anything to black people or any other group who feels the need to have special privilege or identity. All legal citizens living in this country have the same opportunity to succeed and to fail. To those among you who would say, but Ron, you have never had to travel through life as a black man. That’s true but, let me tell you of an experience I had with a friend who happened to be black. He was an accomplished sales manager who made a very good living. I asked him if he, with his very important position in life, ever found racial discrimination directed at him. His answer was perfect. He said he found discrimination everywhere he looked for it. That pretty much says it all.
The reason for this essay is that the other day I was in a large store here in the south. The store was the one which was owned by a fellow named Sam from Benton, Arkansas. You know the one. Anyway, in the store was a multitude of black women shopping, many together. Most had several young children running around them. Virtually all of them had a cell phone connected to their ear. In their carts was junk food from soda pop to sugary cereals. So far none of this was my business, right? At the checkout stand, virtually all of them paid for their groceries with the famous EBT card (food stamps). That is when it became all of our business.
This occurred in the middle of the day during a normal work week, so it is easy to assume none of them were employed. Most were stylishly dressed. I didn’t see what sort of car they got into.
What I just described is no mystery to anyone. It happens everywhere, not just here in the south. We have a class of people who are living off the system, period. I would bet you that none of these young women had a husband and most probably don’t even know who the father of their children is. The practice of pumping out babies has become their career. Sadly many of these babies will grow up to be the next generation of criminals and welfare mothers.
The media never talks about this. This has become “The Elephant in the Room.” My question is does the media not know about this problem, or do they know and not think of it as a problem? Is their guilt about perceived past injustices so great that they ignore this serious problem?
One thing is crystal clear, you are paying for these excesses. You are financing these generations of dependents on the system. You are funding the next generation of thugs and criminals growing up in our inner cities. Another thing is also clear. It is not going to change until you see it as a problem and demand it come to an end.
Nobody seems to want to publicly speak about this. They seem to want to ignore it. I say that unless and until the black community chooses to deal with this and change it, their lot in life in this great country will continue to decline. How sad.
Ron Scarbro October 17, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
TWO NATIONS
I
have become increasingly concerned that America is developing into two
separate nations. For many years we have had basically a two party
system but we have been able to compromise and get along. That no longer
seems to be the case. We now have nearly half of our population
dependent on government for some sort of financial assistance through
food stamps, unemployment benefits, or untold other exotic forms of
government assistance. Of course the other half of our population is
being taxed in order to pay for these benefits. The dependent class is
growing while the working and contributing class is dwindling. A simple
question is what will happen when the dependent class outnumbers the
contributing class? What happens when there are more takers than there
are payers?
I read recently that France has decided to set their income tax rate for millionaires at 75%. Sounds good until you look into the details. The first thing that is going to happen is that millionaires are either going to hide their assets or they are going to take them and themselves to another country. This isn’t brain surgery you know. Most millionaires aren’t millionaires because they are stupid. In addition, most millionaires don’t have huge incomes to tax. Most have their money invested and therefore protected from income taxes. The same is true for this country. We haven’t raised our income tax to 75% yet but any effort by the government to unfairly burden the wealthy with excessive taxes will be met with frustration at accomplishing the task. As I have said previously, any unenforceable law or tax is just a silly exercise. If those who are targeted by those laws refuse to participate, the law goes nowhere.
The two nations I referred to earlier are the takers and the contributors. Let’s face it. If the contributors stop contributing, the money train ends. You know who makes up the contributor class. It is of course the business owners and the well to do among us. It is the people who get out of bed every morning and go to work. It is the entrepreneurs who have ideas and put them into effect by their actions. It is the investors who buy stock in companies making capital available to these businesses. It is the farmer who plows his fields and raises his livestock. It is not, nor has it ever been, the welfare recipients or the moocher class among us. It is not the college girl who expects working people to pay for her birth control pills. It is not the people who refuse to go to work but prefer to drain their benefits. It is not the illegal aliens among us who extract their livelihood from the good intentions of the working class. In other words, there is no such thing as a bottom up economy, period. These are the dependent nation.
There is surely an answer if it isn’t already too late. First, the wrong people are in charge. We need to get rid of them and put people in office who understand how our economic system works. We need to show appreciation for the accomplishers and shame for the idlers among us. How is there honor for a young girl to pump out babies for the financial benefits she accrues? How is there no shame for the men who father these babies and then refuse to participate in their financial welfare? Where is the honor in living off the system?
Going forward there are only two real possibilities. Either we change out our elected “leaders” and put real accomplished people in office thereby getting our economy back on track, or we ride our gravy train over the cliff. It is clear there is no other answer. I know which nation I would prefer to live in, do you?
Ron Scarbro October 10, 2012
I read recently that France has decided to set their income tax rate for millionaires at 75%. Sounds good until you look into the details. The first thing that is going to happen is that millionaires are either going to hide their assets or they are going to take them and themselves to another country. This isn’t brain surgery you know. Most millionaires aren’t millionaires because they are stupid. In addition, most millionaires don’t have huge incomes to tax. Most have their money invested and therefore protected from income taxes. The same is true for this country. We haven’t raised our income tax to 75% yet but any effort by the government to unfairly burden the wealthy with excessive taxes will be met with frustration at accomplishing the task. As I have said previously, any unenforceable law or tax is just a silly exercise. If those who are targeted by those laws refuse to participate, the law goes nowhere.
The two nations I referred to earlier are the takers and the contributors. Let’s face it. If the contributors stop contributing, the money train ends. You know who makes up the contributor class. It is of course the business owners and the well to do among us. It is the people who get out of bed every morning and go to work. It is the entrepreneurs who have ideas and put them into effect by their actions. It is the investors who buy stock in companies making capital available to these businesses. It is the farmer who plows his fields and raises his livestock. It is not, nor has it ever been, the welfare recipients or the moocher class among us. It is not the college girl who expects working people to pay for her birth control pills. It is not the people who refuse to go to work but prefer to drain their benefits. It is not the illegal aliens among us who extract their livelihood from the good intentions of the working class. In other words, there is no such thing as a bottom up economy, period. These are the dependent nation.
There is surely an answer if it isn’t already too late. First, the wrong people are in charge. We need to get rid of them and put people in office who understand how our economic system works. We need to show appreciation for the accomplishers and shame for the idlers among us. How is there honor for a young girl to pump out babies for the financial benefits she accrues? How is there no shame for the men who father these babies and then refuse to participate in their financial welfare? Where is the honor in living off the system?
Going forward there are only two real possibilities. Either we change out our elected “leaders” and put real accomplished people in office thereby getting our economy back on track, or we ride our gravy train over the cliff. It is clear there is no other answer. I know which nation I would prefer to live in, do you?
Ron Scarbro October 10, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
HOW HAVE I SURVIVED?
I
was born and raised in East Tennessee. I wouldn’t exactly say we were
hillbillies, but we were certainly country folks. To give you some
examples of what I mean, indoor plumbing was not a part of my early
life. We had an outhouse. I can remember when the ice man brought ice
for our “icebox.” We didn’t have a refrigerator. To us, running water
meant you had to run and get it. As children I remember baths being in a
washtub on the living room floor and my two brothers and I shared the
same bathwater because the water had to be heated on the wood burning
stove. We necessarily only got maybe one bath a week. But we survived.
Virtually every building, churches, schools, and our own houses, regularly used copious amounts of a miraculous fireproof product known as asbestos. It was used for insulation as well as outdoor siding. No one knew or suspected it was a problem, but we still survived.
I remember in school we played with mercury. It was fun. We would pour it out into our hands and roll it around and pass it among our friends. It was a scientific experiment. We all managed to survive.
All our buildings as well as our own houses were painted with lead based enamel paint. When it was time to re-paint, we scraped the old off and painted with new lead based enamel paint. We didn’t wear masks. How is it possible that I still survived?
I had my own gun by the time I was twelve years old. We all went hunting on a regular basis. We took our guns to school and kept them in our lockers. Nobody ever shot anybody. We saved our ammunition for rabbits and squirrels. Oh, and by the way, all we used was lead based ammunition. We often would eat our game and pick out the lead buckshot at the table. Of course everything was fried in pig fat and often served with gravy. When we were out hunting, we drank water from the creeks and springs which were readily available to us. We played with firecrackers, the real ones. Aren’t those things supposed to be dangerous? Our cars didn’t have seat belts or airbags. And yet we survived.
So what is the point of all this? I was recently listening to some folks from the food police as well as the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control. According to them there is no way anyone could survive any one of the incidents I reported earlier let alone all of them. But we did. Oh and by the way, most of my relatives from earlier generations lived well into their 90s and beyond. All lived under the same conditions I described earlier. They apparently didn’t get the memo that you cannot survive the way we lived.
Here’s a question. Were the earlier generations, including my own, stronger than today’s people? When we used unpasteurized dairy products without ill effect, were we just lucky? When we butchered our own livestock without benefit of Federal inspection and managed to survive, were we just fortunate?
Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful for modern medicine. I am pleased with what we have learned in the past few years. I know our lives have been made better by new discoveries, but I seriously doubt that the situation of my early life was nearly as bad as today’s food and medicine police would have you believe. We lived uncomplicated lives. My mother saved mayonnaise jars for canning vegetables. She didn’t know you were not supposed to do that.
Today I believe people are stressed more by the fear of food and their environment and that fear is far more harmful to them than either their food or the environment. Relax. Eat a hot fudge sundae. Have some gravy and biscuits. Life is a terminal condition. Enjoy it. You only pass this way once.
Ron Scarbro October 3, 2012
Virtually every building, churches, schools, and our own houses, regularly used copious amounts of a miraculous fireproof product known as asbestos. It was used for insulation as well as outdoor siding. No one knew or suspected it was a problem, but we still survived.
I remember in school we played with mercury. It was fun. We would pour it out into our hands and roll it around and pass it among our friends. It was a scientific experiment. We all managed to survive.
All our buildings as well as our own houses were painted with lead based enamel paint. When it was time to re-paint, we scraped the old off and painted with new lead based enamel paint. We didn’t wear masks. How is it possible that I still survived?
I had my own gun by the time I was twelve years old. We all went hunting on a regular basis. We took our guns to school and kept them in our lockers. Nobody ever shot anybody. We saved our ammunition for rabbits and squirrels. Oh, and by the way, all we used was lead based ammunition. We often would eat our game and pick out the lead buckshot at the table. Of course everything was fried in pig fat and often served with gravy. When we were out hunting, we drank water from the creeks and springs which were readily available to us. We played with firecrackers, the real ones. Aren’t those things supposed to be dangerous? Our cars didn’t have seat belts or airbags. And yet we survived.
So what is the point of all this? I was recently listening to some folks from the food police as well as the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control. According to them there is no way anyone could survive any one of the incidents I reported earlier let alone all of them. But we did. Oh and by the way, most of my relatives from earlier generations lived well into their 90s and beyond. All lived under the same conditions I described earlier. They apparently didn’t get the memo that you cannot survive the way we lived.
Here’s a question. Were the earlier generations, including my own, stronger than today’s people? When we used unpasteurized dairy products without ill effect, were we just lucky? When we butchered our own livestock without benefit of Federal inspection and managed to survive, were we just fortunate?
Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful for modern medicine. I am pleased with what we have learned in the past few years. I know our lives have been made better by new discoveries, but I seriously doubt that the situation of my early life was nearly as bad as today’s food and medicine police would have you believe. We lived uncomplicated lives. My mother saved mayonnaise jars for canning vegetables. She didn’t know you were not supposed to do that.
Today I believe people are stressed more by the fear of food and their environment and that fear is far more harmful to them than either their food or the environment. Relax. Eat a hot fudge sundae. Have some gravy and biscuits. Life is a terminal condition. Enjoy it. You only pass this way once.
Ron Scarbro October 3, 2012
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